1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a quick connect swivelable connector for tubular conduits.
2. Description of the Related Art
Swivelable connectors are used in many applications for connecting hoses for supplying a fluid such as water or oil, and conventionally, connectors of the threaded type are typically used. Such connectors, however, require skill and time for assembly, and thus simpler connectors are demanded.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,524,995 and 4,601,497, granted to Bartholomew on June 25, 1985 and July 22, 1986, respectively, disclose a quick connect swivelable connector comprising a first tubular connector member (housing), a second tubular connector member (a tubular conduit) inserted in the first tubular connector member and having an annular projection, a sealing means between the first and second tubular connector members, and a resilient retainer secured to the first tubular connector member to engage with the annular projection of the second tubular connector member. The resilient retainer preferably comprises a pair of snapping jaws. In this connector, assembly is easily carried out by securing the resilient retainer to the first tubular connector member and then inserting the second tubular connector member in the resilient retainer and in the first tubular connector member until the annular projection of the second tubular connector member passes beyond the resilient retainer, whereby the second tubular connector member cannot be disconnected from the first tubular connector member.
The problem in this arrangement is the provision of the annular projection of the second tubular connector member. It is, of course, necessary to enlarge a portion of the first tubular connector member to allow the insertion of the second tubular connector member in the first tubular connector member, but the annular projection of the second tubular connector member necessitates a greater enlargement of a corresponding portion of the first tubular connector member. Therefore, preferably the annular projection is eliminated, to obtain a compact connector.
In this aspect, an outer projection is naturally provided on the outer surface of a tubular connector member, i.e., a pipe, when it is desired to provide a profiled engaging means on the outer surface of the pipe. But conversely, it appears rare to provide a recess or a groove on the outer surface of the pipe, since the recess or groove causes a reduction in the thickness of the pipe wall, and thus there have been no proposals to provide a recess or a groove in place of the annular projection.
Further, the resilient retainer must spread in the first tubular connector member when the second tubular connector member is inserted in the first tubular connector member and therefore, the resilient retainer also necessitates an enlargement of the first tubular connector member.
In the principle of the above-described swivelable connector, it is possible to disconnect the once retained second tubular connector member from the first tubular connector member by manually spreading the resilient retainer. In practice, however, it is difficult to manually spread the resilient retainer, since the resilient retainer is preferably formed of a plastic material with sufficient rigidity to retain the once retained second tubular connector member during subsequent long and severe use.